Helga's Scion
by Xenia
Summary: Over the summer Nigel was revealed as the heir of Hufflepuff and even helped face Voldemort but is he prepared to face teenage girl fans?
1. The Train Ride or Slytherin ex-girlfrie...

"Now Nigel, you haven't introduced me to any of your lovely friends!" Margaret Moon scolded her brother. He looked around the train station, saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny approaching, and groaned. "Hello Nigel" said Harry.  
"Hello" he replied, Margaret nudged him and he added dutifully, "Oh, this is my sister Margaret. Margaret, this is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Ron's sister Ginny Weasley."  
Nigel looked at the boys and wanted to bang his head against something really really hard. Why did he have to have a, supermodel looking, dancer for a sister. The boys were practically drooling. Luckily, Hermione dragged them away quickly enough.  
Nigel breathed a sigh of relief when they walked off but soon discovered that Margaret intended to meet every student in the entire school. "Why, oh why was i born!" Nigel though to himself. Twenty minutes later he was talking with Hannah Abbot, a pretty girl, with curly blonde hair, when Margaret exclaimed, "Why if it isn't Lilah! Hello Lilah dear"  
Nigel turned around and found himself face to face with Lilah. He wondered if this was anywhere near as embarrassing for her as it was for him, and reaalized it was most definatly not. "Hannah. You know Lilah, don't you?" Nigel stammered, trying to regain his composure.  
"Yes. You introduced us the night of the Yule Ball" Lilah snapped, "Oh look! There's Harry! I believe I'll go have a chat with him! Oh by the way" she added, "I meant what I said the night of the wedding."  
Nigel couldn't figure out why she was being so hostile. They had been broken up for ages and were still friends, weren't they?. After all they'd been through, he would have thought she'd be at least a little more civil. He turned around to find Hannah walking away. If Lilah's point had ben to alienate the girl, it seemed to have worked, "but why would she want to do that?" He thought to himself.   
"Well Nigel, I'd better let you get on the train" Margaret sighed.  
As he finally got on the train, Nigel wondered where he would find to sit. for the last 2 years he had been constantly with Lilah, and her friends, and now he realized that he really had no friends of his own anymore. Lilah had pretty much demanded he stop hanging out with the hufflepuff girls. He didn't think Harry, Hermione and Ron would mind his sitting with them. However, he didn't want to spend the entire train ride with Lilah, if her performance earlier had been any indication of her mood, expecially since she would inevitably be flirting with Harry. Fortunatly, when Nigel found Harry, Hermione and Ron, Lilah was not with them. On top of that, no one seemed at all suprised when he joined them. Nigel soon was involved in a discussion with Harry. Nigel had not actually wanted to talk to Harry, since he had felt that it was in a way Harry's fault that he and Lilah had broken up; but once he began, he quite enjoyed it. Really, he thought to himself, Harry had done nothing; it wasn't Harry's fault if Lilah liked him. Nigel had just resolved to give up any feelings of resentment, towards Harry for ruining his relationship with Lilah, when he heard the compartment door slide open and Lilah say, "Hi Harry" and then in a completely different tone, "Oh Nigel. I didn't realize you were here"  
Nigel felt humiliated beyond belief. He muttered something about not staying where he was not wanted, and left. As he closed the door, he saw Lilah leaning towards Harry.  
Dissolutely, he walked down the corridor, trying to think of somewhere he could go. He passed Parvati and Lavender, who turned bright red and began to giggle when they saw him. He waved and they turned even redder and hurried off. He saw Ginny and informed her that, "Your brother, Harry, Hermione, and you know who are in the last compartment to the left"   
Ginny looked extremely gratefull and while thanking him managed to trip over her own robe. Nigel helped her up and she looked embarassed and said, "You're so kind, you're all so kind!"   
"Is someone playing some enormous trick on me, which everyone on the bloody train knows about but me?" Nigel thought.  
Nigel was just about ready to curl himself up in a very tight ball and stay that way for all eternity, when, all of the sudden, he turned around to find Cho Chang sticking her head out a comapartment door asking him if he wanted to sit with her and some of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seventh years. Cho Chang! The Ravenclaw seeker Harry had liked, who had graduated the year before....What was she doing here! Nigel wasn't sure, but he didn't really care. All that mattered was that she had offered him a way out of his hellish search for somewhere to sit. He also couldn't help but think of how much fun it was going to be to casually mention it to Harry. This day had certainly improved in the last thirty seconds.  
Nigel went in the compartment with Cho, and found himself staring at Hannah, the girl from earlier that had been there for Lilah's performance. He had known Hannah since first year, they had been friends before he had taken up with Lilah. He remembered how in second year she didn't tease him about liking Morag, and how he had wondred if she liked him herself. He thought to himself that she really looked quite like an angel. She was sitting there engrossed sketching something on a little pad of paper. His attention was distracted by Cho asking, "So Nigel, are you going to do quiddich this year?"  
"Ummm...I really don't know if I'm good enough" he replied  
Ernie snickered, "Then you really would be Cedric"  
"Oh ... Cho how come you're here on the Hogwarts Express with us since you graduated last year? If you don't mind telling me." Nigel quickly added.  
"Oh of course, I'm training to be a teacher. Professor McGonagall has agreed to train me"  
"Really, is that the usual way of things? You know I'm from a muggle family and don't-"  
"But apparently you're not really from muggle ancestry" Cho cut him off, "I'd hardly call Helga Hufflepuff a muggle!"  
So that was what they had all wanted to say, why the Gryffindor girls had giggled; when Ginny said "you all", she must have meant him and Harry, the heirs. Nigel blushed. How had news of this spread so fast? To tell the truth however, he really didn't mind. He told them all about what had happened, and how he turned out to be the heir to Hufflepuff. After that he found he felt surprisingly at home with the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. He had not hung out with them much in the last three or four year, choosing instead to spend time with his Slytherin girlfriend and her Gryffindor friends. Now he wondered why. The girls weren't prettier and they certainly weren't any nicer. He was still talking to Cho when he looked over and saw Hannah, staring out the window. She really did look like an angel. Hannah looked up at him and smiled, and suddenly Nigel felt more giddy than he could remember being. "I think I'll just go to the loo" Cho said.  
Nigel got up and sat next to Hannah. "How was your summer?" He asked kindly, and earnestly, but mundanely. 


	2. That Makes Two of Us or Snape is Done Fo...

A/N This is really short but I realized i was waiting too long to bring this aspect in. The next chapter will be up almost immediately as I have it written.  
Lodessa stood in the entrace hall, feeling like a first year once more. The wonder of Hogwarts once more leaving a strong impression. This time though, she was all grown up, or so they said. The 20 years since she had graduated had been filled with many things, but nothing seemed as clear on that brillant autumn day, as her years as a student. Many claimed those years as the best years of their lives, Lodessa wasn't sure whether she was one of them or not. Yet she was glad to be back, and now, unlike when she was 16. Lodessa admitted to herself why. She was going to see him again. Not that anything was to happen, after all he was most certainly as bitter and stubborn as ever. Lodessa would not be discouraged though. He had loved her once, she was sure of it. He was not a man to say or do anything he did not mean. Perhaps, she thought, he might have learned. After all he was now twice as old as he had been, and she had not seen him even once in the last 5 years. Maybe he had learned to forgive...no, she knew better than that. He would never forgive, never understand. Well, that might be but she was an adult and could deal with him. And she'd be damned if she wasn't going to give it another try. She didn't need him, but she would make him need her.. .she would.  
"You?"said the silky smooth voice that haunted all here dreams, "what are you doing here?"  
She nearly fainted before even turning around to face him. That voice, she felt 15 once more. She turned around to face him. Both could hardly breath, as the studied each other. The most intense mixture of emotions in their eyes. Then he abruptly both eye contact and hurried away.   
Lodessa was wrong, she did need him. She needed him more than anything else. "Severus!" she cried mentally, "Why do you always leave me vulnerable and needing you!"  
She had to, she must, she needed to make him hers. Yet all she could do was try, and at the same time try to live up to the expectation Dumbledore had for her. She must seem desperate, had 7 years among the likes of Narcissa, Lucius and Maximillian taught her nothing? Wasn't she a Slytherin for a reason? She could do this. No one needed to know. She had fooled Narcissa for years, when they were supposed to be best friends; she had fooled Max when they were going out. She could fool students, who knew nothing of the matter. She would make them love her. She would conquer...and she was going to have fun while she was at it. 


	3. The Start of Term Feast or Hufflepuffs a...

While walking towards the castle, Nigel felt carefree and at ease for the first time in years. obviously, he had felt happy before, but Nigel was starting to realize that he'd never felt truly safe while with Lilah, even when they were supposed to be happily going out, even when...yet somehow, after years of ignoring and neglecting them, spending a couple of hours with his fellow Hufflepuffs made Nigel feel completely relaxed.  
Noticing that Cho had left them, Nigel wondered where she was intending to sit; after all she was really neither a teacher nor a student. Which reminded Nigel of Cho's odd behavior, when he asked her why she was at Hogwarts. The question seemed to discompose her, as if he had hit a nerve somewhere. Which led him to wonder what she was hiding and why. Then he was distracted by the entrance of the first years, who were just about to be sorted Nigel paid very close attention as Atley, Ball, and Brown were sorted, into Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor respectively. Soon however, his attention began to wander to the teacher's table, where Cho was sitting. Nigel gazed past the familiar faces till he found what he was looking for, an exquisite woman with thick dark hair and olive skin, whom Nigel had never seen before. She seemed intent upon talking to professor Snape, who looked rather embarrassed. 'I certainly hope she doesn't favor people like Snape of I'm doomed' Nigel thought to himself; because, this of course must be the new defense against the dark arts teacher. if she was taken in by Snape then she certainly was not qualified to tell anyone about resisting evil. With a feeling of foreboding, Nigel turned back to the sorting ceremony. Morningstar was sorted in to Slythrin and...  
"Psssst! Nigel!"  
He turned around to face a tall blonde with tan skin and blue eyes. "What Sally-Anne?" he whispered.  
"Well like..."she began in a manner that betrayed her Californian origin, "Ron said that like..." Sally-Anne was obsessed with none other than Ron Weasley. unfortunately, Ron detested Sally-Anne more than just about anything, except perhaps spiders. "That over the summer..."  
Nigel decided to try to ignore the fact tht everyone was staring at them because Sally-Anne had no appropriate sense of reserve and was talking during the sorting ceremony. Not that this was unusual, Sally-Anne's character, which had so alienated Ron, was exemplified by this sort of spectacle. During their 5th year, Sally-Anne was so appalled that the school had no cheerleading squad that she started one. She continually stalked Ron even when it became apparent that he was avoiding her. She insisted that Justin and Susan were in love with each other even after she started dating Justin and she continually was asking Nigel strip for her. She reminded Nigel of a windup toy or a bouncing ball. He was however quite used to Sally-Anne since they had been close friends during his earlier years at school. They said it was because they were both ousiders, a muggle and an American, but truly it was because Nigel was the only one who tolerated Sally-Anne.  
Thankfully Sally-Anne was halted by the ending of the sorting ceremony and Dumbledore's beginning to speak.  
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts" Dumbledore began, "there are a few changes in the staff this year. First off, as he has a great deal of expertise in the area, Professor Snape has agreed to teach defense against the dark arts, which as you all know is prvoing to be a very important course and a difficult faculty position to fill."  
Since Nigel's first year, they had not had the same defense against the dark arts teacher two years in a row. Snape certianally looked pleased with himself. that was to be expected however, since everyone knew that Snape had wanted that job for years, but until this year had been defeated.  
"Since Professor Snape can obviously not teach both potions and defense against the dark arts, we are happy to have professor Charybdis with us this year to teach potions." Dumbledore indicated the woman Nigel ad had earlier thought to be the new defense against the dark arts teacher. She smiled at the hall and Nigel wondered whether having a new potions teacher was worth having Snape teach defense against the dark arts. "Also this year we will have miss Cho Chang here, studying to be a teacher, under the excellent tutelage of Professor McGonagall. Most of you know Miss Chang, as she graduated only last year and played for four years as the Ravenclaw seeker. She has also offered to supervise all quiddich practices. Which brings me to the next order of business. I regret to inform you that, due to recent events in the wizarding world, all students are to remain within the castle walls, unless supervised by a qualified adult. i know this is unpleasant, but it is vitally important for the safety of everyone in this trying time. Also, all classrooms in the west wing have been moved so as to make that wing available to anyone who is in need of it's sanctuary. Other that that, everything os normal."  
The magical apparition of the food at Hogwarts never ceased to amaze Nigel. This was his seventh year at Hogwarts, but Nigel was still not used to a lot of things about living in a magical world.  
"like Ron said like something about you like getting some shield thingie and like turning all glowy and like is it true?"  
Nigel supposed that it would be too much to ask for Sally-Anne to leave that alone for more than a few minutes. So he dutifully replied, "Yes it is true" knowing that this answer would not be sufficient.  
"So like, tell me about it"  
"What do you want to know?"  
"Like everything"  
Nigel sighed and resolved to try his best to explain things. He notices that people where staring at him. So, not knowing what else to do, he began to explain about how the dark lord had attacked at Xenia and Sirius' renewal of their wedding vows and how he had pulled out the shield of Hufflepuff. He was flattered by the attention, though a little embarrassed.  
"So does that make you the heir?" Susan asked.  
"Well actually, anyone in the family can full out the shield" Nigel replied.  
"Oh... well I had just heard that...you were...you know...the heir."  
"Actually...I am, that just isn't what shows it." he added.  
"He was starting to wish that everyone would just leave him alone. How could he tell them what had happened without sounding like he was bragging, and without explaining things that he was pretty sure no one was supposed to know about.  
Then he heard, "Come one, leave poor Nigel alone. He has enough to deal with, without you all harassing him."  
Nigel looked around fo the source of that heaven sent voice and found it was the angelic looking Hannah. He smiled at her gratefully.  
After the feast, Nigel found himself walking nest to Hannah, "Thanks for earlier" he said.  
"What do you mean? The train ofr at dinner? Cause I really hoped you didn't mind the second."  
What about the train? Nigel wondered. "oh no. I really wanted them to stop. I mean as nice as it is to be paid attention to it felt like they were forcing me to be a braggart or something. I guess that sounds foolish."  
"No...I mean they did have you backed into a corner."  
Nigel smiled at Hannah and wondered how she seemed to know his thoughts. He felt so at ease with her, so at ease that he almost asked her about Cho when he felt a tap on his shoulder. he turned and found Lilah.  
"You forgot this" she said seductively, giving him a big smile and handing him a package. Nigel felt extremely confused and turned to see Hannah walking off.  
"Hannah! wait up!" Nigel called. She turned and waited for him but seemed extremely reserved after that. 'Darn Lilah! Why is it that everytime I'm enjoying myself dhe has to appear and ruin it?' He thought to himself. 'Hasn't she done enough damage?'   
Nigel had not noticed that they had fallen behind; however, when he and Hannah reached the common room, it seemed that everyone was already there.  
"Did you really?"  
"Oh I just heard..."  
"Was it terrifying?"  
A swarm of girls surrounded Nigel and he felt about to drown. They were all reaching for him, talking at him, clining to him, gawking at him, and Nigel couldn't find anyway to excape from their clutches. Then, once again, he heard the same voice come to his rescue, "Leave Nigel alone! you're smpthering him! Really girls...you'd think you'd never seen him before!"  
And the girls parted, and Nigel was left looking for Hannah, to thank her, but she was already up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. Nigel sighed. Was she suddenly avoiding him because she thought he really wanted to be the center of attention? he knew his excuses sounded weak but really he only didn't tell them off himself because he didn't want to hurt their feelings. For some reason, he had thought she had understood that, but now she seemed mad at him. Nigel turned around and headed to bed.  
But he was not to escape so easily, when he reached the dormitory, Justin was waiting for him.  
"Not now Justin. Just let me rest tonight!" Nigel pleaded.  
"Certainly not. As your room mate i insist on knowing what transpired..." Nigel groaned, "Between you and Hannah"  
Nigel felt a wave of relief rush over him. Trust Justin to know when to leave well enough alone, and to ask at all other times.  
"Nothing" Nigel told Justin, "Nothing at all."  
"Well I don't bloody believe that" Justin replied, "I see how you are together, and she asked Cho to invite you in today on the train"  
"She asked Cho?"  
"Yes, you idiot, didn't you know? Not that Cho seemed to mind. In fact I'd hazard a guess that you could have everything Cedrick had, if you know what I mean"  
"Including an early death"  
"Come off it, you understand me. But that wasn't what I was trying to say. Hannah would have invited you herself if she hadn't been too embarrassed".  
"Embarrassed? Why?"  
"well because she had just realized that things weren't over between you and Lilah, and she didn't want to seem to be flinging herself at you if that was the case....You know how Hannah is".  
"She certainly seemed uncommonly assertive today when rescuing me twice from the mob today"  
"You call that nothing?"  
"well...um...so -How are things with Susan?"  
"There is absolutely nothing between us as you well know. I mean I am going out with Sally-Anne"  
Nigel laughed, "I know. I was just trying to have a little fun...or maybe I have just been hanging out with your girlfriend too much."  
"Stop trying to distract me. If you don't want to talk about the summer, I'll respect that. but Nigel mate, we've got to be frank here".  
"Fine. We were talking but then Lilah showed up and after that Hannah got all quiet and stated avoiding me...Wait a minute! what did you say about things not being over with Lilah?"  
"Hannah said Lilah came up while she was talking to you before we got on the train and said some rubbish about a wedding, which made it clear that you and her weren't finished."  
Nigle was extremely confused. After all, wouldn't he know if there was still something going on between him and Lilah, "Lilah was just being her Slytherin self, I guess. For some reason it seems that she can't stand to see me enjoying myself but must somehow manage to ruin it. I don't even remember what she said about, or at, the wedding. We broke up in March and there hasn't been anything between us since."  
"Well she certainly convinced Hannah otherwise."  
"What is what I don't get. Why would she bother doing that?"  
"Nigel that's elementary. she can't Stand to see you fancy another girl. you do fancy Hannah don't you. Lilah sees you as her property, even if she really has no right to you, and she can't stand to see anyone else have you".  
"Well I...Why?"  
"So you admit you fancy her"  
"What?"  
"Hannah, you do fancy her."  
"Well I..."  
"Listen, I've been your roommate for six years now. You fancy Hannah. Don't worry, she obviously fancies you..."  
"If she fancies me then why is she hiding from me?"  
"I told you. She thinks you are still tangled up with Lilah. You said Lilah showed up right before Hannah got all quiet. What did she do?"  
"Well se gave me a package...wait...where did i put it?" Nigel fumbled around for the package and discovered in was his formal robes from Xenia and Sirius' Wedding Vow Renewal. SHe supposed he must have forgotten them in all the commotion.  
"Well those certainly look compromising" Justin commented. Nigel tried to explain but Justin pointed out how it must have looked to Hannah, "Listen to me mate. You've to to put an end to this. As long as you let her, Lilah will always get between you and other girls. You have to set limits."  
"I broke up with her! What do you want me to do? Make here hate me? I doubt the would improve things"  
"Calm down Nigel, I was just trying to help. It isn't really so bad. Cheer up, you seem to be becoming a second Cedrick."  
"Great, I always wanted to die."  
"No...I mean...You know perfectly well what I meant. Parvati and Padma came by right before you on the train and they were utterly preoccupied by giggling about how cute you were. i even saw some of the Slytherin girls looking."  
"Great, something else I always wanted, another Slytherin girlfriend."  
"Listen to me, I know this sarcasm is just your way of dealing with your embarrassment about being flattered. So just listen to what I have to day and then I'll shut up, for the moment. You can have whatever you want. All the girls like you; you're the Heir to Hufflepuff; you're head boy, and now you're going to be on the quiddich team. You're Cedrick, only the new and improved model. You can't just let Lilah spoil this because it boosts her self-esteem." 


End file.
